Combined gate and step



(N0 Model.)

P. H. BOYLE.

COMBINED GATE AND STEP.

.w a M I 1 t p mm a J Q 6 m w, a P J m m I m m l w 3 I o N mf lfssEs:

n. PETERS. Photu-Lilfwgraphur. Wahingwn. o c.

UNrTEn STATES PATENT @rrrcn.

PA'lRlCK H. BOYLE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

COMBINED GATE AND STEP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 389,284, dated September 11, 1888.

Application tiled July 2, 1838.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PATRICK II. BOYLE, of Boston,in the county of Siit't'oll ,State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvementiu Combined Gates and Steps, of which the following is a description sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which said invention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation showing my improvement in use, the gate being represented as closed and the steps housed; Fig. 2, a bottom plan View showing a portion of the steps and platfor1n,the steps being represented as housed and Fig. 3, a top plan view, the steps being represented as swung outward.

Like letters and figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures of the drawings.

The nature and operation of the improve ment will be readily understood by all con versant with such matters from the following explanation.

In the drawings, A represents the gate, B the steps, and O the platform.

The steps consist, essentially, of two inclined side rails, m, arranged in parallelism with each other, said rails being provided with a series of steps or treads, f. The rails in are secured at their upper ends to a horizontally-arranged plate, D, one corner of which is rigidly secured to a rod, E, journaled vertically in the platform C. The plate D is provided with a curved slot, 15, through which a headed supporting bolt or lug, 25, passes upward into said platform, a truss or stay-piece, 35, being secured to the lower side of said plate across the slot to strengthen the plate.

The gate A may be of any suitable size or form, and is provided at one side with arms -15, which are rigidly secured to the rod E, said gate being arranged in the same vertical plane with the steps B. A post, H, is erected at either side of the gate,with which is connected a fence, J. A latch, 55, is pivoted to the gate and arranged to engage a catch, 65, on one of the posts H. Secured to this latch there is a cord,K,which passes upward around a pulley,

Serial No. 9.78.799. (No model.)

75, on the free end of the gate, thence over a pulley, 85, near the center of the gate, and thence downward over a pulley, 95, on the platform C.

In the use of my improvement, when the gate is opened and swung outward, the rod E will be turned, thereby swinging the plate D and steps B outward and bringing them into the position in Fig. 3, and permitting a person on the platform 0 to pass onto the plate D and thence down the steps B, in a manner that will be readily understood by all conversant with such matters without a more explicit description.

In the present instance the invention is represented as applied to a boat-slip or wharf; but it will be obvious that it may be applied in agreat variety of positions-as, for instance, to bridges, in warehouses, to embankmentfences, railway-cars, 850.

The object of the cord K and pulleys 75, 85, and 95 is to enable the gate to be opened and the steps swung into position for use by a person located at a point below the plane of the platform 0, as shown in Fig. 1, in which the boatman N, by pulling on said cord while in the boat M, may raise the latch and bring the steps into the position shown in Fi"; 3 without leaving the boat.

I do not confine myself to constructing and supporting the plate D in the precise manner shown, as this feature may be changed some what without departing from the spirit of my invention. The latch, pulleys, and cord may also be constructed and arranged in a different manner, if desired, provided they perform substantially the same functions, and some of them may also be omit-ted.

Having thus explained my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a platform, a vcrtically-arranged rod journaled in said platform, a gate rigidly secured to the rod above the platform, a plate rigidly secured to the rod below the platform, and steps secured to said plate, substantially as set forth.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a platform, a vertically-an ranged rod journalcd in said platform, a gate rigidly secured to the rod above the platform,

IOC

a plate rigidly secured to the rod below the platform, steps secured to said plate, anda latch or fastening for the gate, substantially as specified.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of a platform, a vertically-arranged rod journaled in said platform, a gate rigidly secured to the rod above the platform, a plate rigidly secured to the rod below the platform, steps secured to said plate, a latch or fastening for the gate, a cord secured to said latch and extending below the platform, and a pulley or hearing on the gate above the latch, over which said cord passes, whereby the latch may be raised, the gate opened, and the steps swung into position for use, substantially as set forth.

4. In a device of the character described, the platform 0, the rod E, journaled vertically in said platform, the gate A, rigidly connected with said rod above the platform, the plate D, provided with the curved slot 15 and rigidly secured to said rod below the platform, and the headed lug 25, passing through the slot 15 and inserted in the platform 0, combined and arranged to operate substantially as specified.

5. In a device of the character described, the platform 0, the rod E, journaled vertically in said platform, the gate A, rigidly connected with said rod above the platform, the plate D, provided with the curved slot 15 and rigidly secured to said rod below the platform, the headed lug 25, passing through the slot 15 and inserted in the platform 0, the latch 55, the catch 65, a support for said catch, the pulley 85, secured to said gate, and the cord K,secu red to said latch and passing over said pulley and over a pulley, 95, secured to the platform 0, combined and arranged to operate substantiall y as set forth.

6. In a device of'the character described, the plate D, provided with the curved slot 15 and truss or stay-piece 35, in combination with the lug 25,platform (l, journalcd rod E, gate A, and steps 13, substantially as specified.

PATRICK H. BOYLE.

Witnesses:

O. M. SHAW, HELEN M. FEEGAN. 

